thumb
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Still, there were plenty of instances where my thumb found its limits: turning off the flash in the camera app, or typing the letter “A.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
He said the belemnite "stuck out like a sore thumb" compared with the countless others found in the region.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026
The letter arrived with a thumb drive purporting to contain the list of voters in question, and a handwritten note providing the password.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
For physical illness, Tang says there are some well-established rules of thumb.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Coal put in his mother’s thumb drive and one from Ms. Freeman’s desk and started copying files.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
He walked out of a police station on Saturday afternoon, waving to the media and giving a thumbs up as he was driven away, an AFP photographer saw.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
A 10-second video of the press yelling at McConnell to speak or give a thumbs up — with seemingly zero response from the senator — has gone viral.
From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2026
Hispanics gave them the thumbs down, 69% to 31%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
You cannot apply logic to his work — every choice thumbs its nose at the real world — and I rarely like the overall result.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
He hooked his thumbs through his belt loops, then pulled them free.
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
Valerie’s career is a long curtsy to declining standards and compromises; her 2014 journey thumbed its nose at the town’s prestige-chasing.
From Salon ● Mar. 26, 2026
In October, I thumbed through snapshots my mother had stashed in albums, envelopes and shoeboxes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025
To ready her body, she ordered in Japanese last night, then had somebody administer an IV vitamin drip as she thumbed through an issue of the New Yorker.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2025
McCartney was surrounded by an assortment of espionage books that event workers thumbed through during less bustling moments.
From New York Times ● Jun. 18, 2024
I thumbed on my sympathy lamp and went to Denna, shaking her roughly.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
The speed of that reversal makes it tempting to see the latest ruling as a district judge thumbing her nose at the high court.
From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026
It meant there were five changes in all from the matchday squad announced on Monday and surely would have had the New Zealand management thumbing through the regulations of the tour agreement.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
If you are thumbing through the brochure/paperwork, it will be there in black and white.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 24, 2026
And arm yourself with simple pantry staples that you can graze on lazily, ideally while peeling a clementine and thumbing a paperback.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 8, 2026
I heard die sound of Cade Hernandez actually opening a book, thumbing through pages.
From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith
Vocabulary lists containing thumb
Road Home
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Lesson 16
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a word